False-twist spindles



June 28, 1960 A. w. WARD ETAL l 2,942,405

FALSE-TWIST SPINDLES Filed oct. 9, 1957 INVENTORS ALEC W. WARD JOSEPH R. WYLDE Tron Ys United States Patent yFALSE-TWIST SPINDLES Alec Winston Ward and Joseph Rowland Wylde, Spondon, near Derby, England, assignors to British Celanese Limited, a company of Great Britain This invention relates to false-twist spindles and particularly to pneumatically `driven spindles adapted for imparting a high degree of temporary twist to a yarn or like textile product, e.g. slivers, rovings and continuous filament tows, which twist is set in the yarn or the like so that, whenfthe twist leaves thel yarn, the-individual fibres retain 4the distortions imposed Von them by the false twist.

According to the present invention a false-twist spindle comprises a rotor lirl the form of a hollow member having external vanes, a stator surrounding said rotor and means for supplying said stator with compressed air or other iluid which said stator is adapted to direct against said vanes so as to rotate said rotor, said stator being trunnionmounted so that it can readily be inverted whereby the direction of rotation of said spindle can be reversed. Preferably, the compressed air is supplied to the stator through the trunnion, or one of the trunnions, on which the stator is mounted, the trunnion being in the form of a suitable gland for this purpose, to allow freedom of rotation of 'the stator while the air supply pipe remains stationary. A second trunnion is preferably provided, opposite the iirst but without provision for the supply of compressed air. Both trunnions can be carried on the arms of a suitable forked bracket for attachment to the machine in which the supply, temporary twisting, setting and re-winding of the yarn are eiiected.

By the use of a light, well balanced, pneumatically driven spindle, very high speeds of rotation can be attained, e.g. 70,000 r.p.m. or more. Consequently the yarn can be treated at an increased linear rate. At the same time, the ready reversibility of -the spindle according to the invention enables the direction of the false twist to be selected at will and readily changed as and when desired. The invention is therefore of particular importance in connection with that described in U.S. application S. No. 579,344, led April 19, 1956, now abandoned, acc\ording to which voluminous yarns are produced by false-twisting two component yarns in opposite directions, `setting in the libres of the yarn the distortions imposed by the false twist and subsequently doubling the two components together. For this purpose, it is necessary to provide falsetwist spindles which can give a false twist 4in either direction, and the spindle according to the present invention is particularly suitable for this purpose. It is generally desirable that false-twist spindles, like other textile spindles, should be arranged in a long series along the length of a textile machine having, in association with each spindle, the necessary provision for mounting supply packages of yarn, for forwarding the yarns through the several spindles, for setting the yarn over a zone where temporary twist is imparted to it by the spindle, and for collecting the yarn as it leaves the setting means, the several means for each of these purposes being disposed in a corresponding series along the length of the machine. When the spindle according to the present invention is employed, its nature allows of a variety of convenient arrangements, e.g. one in which all the spindles impart false twist-of the same direction of twist, or in which one-half of the series 2,942,405 Patented June 28, 1960 Y `.a Y of spindles imparts false twist of one direction and the remainder of the other direction, or in which alternate spindles impart false twist in opposite directions. In the last-mentioned case, take-up devices may be provided, one for each pair of false-twist spindles, so as to take up simultaneously a pair of yarns which have beenfalsetwisted in opposite directions. Or again, provision may be made formounting two supply packages in association with each spindle sothat two ends of yarn can befalsetwisted together bythe same spindlefthe two ends being separated after false-twisting and setting, and each being taken-up as one of a pair with an end from an adjoining spindle, the collecting devices being arranged in series, and in alternation with the false-twist spindles.

0n account of the extremely high speeds attainable by the spindles in accordance with the present invention,

it is desirable to pay particular attention to the lubrication ofthe spindles. It is a further feature of the present invention that this can be done by mounting the spindles in suitable bearings above and below the point of application to the rotor of the compressed air for driving the rotor, which bearings (preferably ballor roller-bearings) are supplied withlubricant in the form of a small content of oil mist or vapour carried in the compressed air supply,A the Vair supplied to the vanes having access, by suitable passages formed in the stator/rotor assembly, to the bearings before leaving the stator casing. Or again, the escaping air may be so directed as to provide, in the bearings, a cushion of air which itself acts as bearing medium and permits extremely high rates of rotation to be maintained.

By way of example, one form of false-twist spindle in accordance with the present invention will now be described in greater ldetail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

igure 1 is a sectional side elevation of thespindle, ,an

Figure 2 is a plan View partly broken away.

The spindle comprises an outer casing 3 carrying a pair of ball-bearings 4 mounted in plastic races 5. Within the casing 3 is mounted a rotor 6 having a series of projecting blades or vanes 7 (Figure 2) round its periphery and having a central tube 8 pressed into it along its axis, and extending through and engaging the bearings 4. The central tube 8 projects equally from both sides of the casing 3 and'is provided at each end with a metal loop 9 extending diametrically across the bore of the tube 8 and symmetrically disposed with reference thereto so as to maintain the static and dynamic balance of the spindle. The metal loop 9 constitutes means round which the yarn may be passed for one or more turns so as -to ensure proper frictional engagement of the spindle with the yarn as is necessary to impart the required false twist to the yarn. The outer casing 3 is furnished with a pair of trunnions 1l, 12 at opposite ends of a diameter, the trunnions being carried in bearings 13 at the two ends of a forked bracket 14 adapted at 15 to be bolted to a suitable rail in the frame of the machine adapted to carry a long series of the spindles. Axially through the trunnion 11 extends a tube 16 for the supply of compressed air, the tube being aligned and communicating within the casing 3 with a passage 17 extending part-way round the casing and opening tangentially on the vanes 7 of the rotor 6. The outer end of the trunnion 11 carries a suitable gland 18 surrounding the tube 16 so that the casing 3 can be rotated on the trunnions 11, 12 without rotating the tube 16. A spring-loaded ball 19 mounted in either or each arm of the bracket 14 carrying the trunnion bearings 13 engages either of two dimples 21 in the corresponding trunnion and serves to locate the outer casing 3 in either of two operating positions.

Air supplied through the tube 16 is directed, by way of the passage 17, against the vanes 7 of the rotor 6 and drives the rotor at high speeds. `The air escaping axially from the rotor mainly leaves the casing by way of apertujreaZZ formedgtherein. A minor vproportion .of .theain however, passes. across the endsurfaces of the rotor. 61and leave'slthe.casingthroughthe.bearings 4 and through apertureslzand 25.1;0 30 inclusive. ADeflector discs 24Y are providedtodirecttheair so escaping away from the axis of theldevice .so that .it vdoes notdisturb yarn passing through thecentraltube 8. .Bysupplying oil to the yair atany. conveuientpoint before it reaches the trunnion 11, the ohpasses in theformvof. a mistfthrough the bearings 4,a1'1d .assists VinQtheirlubrication. p

.The @spindle .described .above enables z high .speeds of rotation' to. be. readily. obtained with .quite moderate air supply pressures. ..For;example, -withza, pressure ofgonly 1 lb.V per sguareinchgauge: pressurea. spindlespeed: of l7,000.1j.p.rn. .can .readilyJber/rraintained while with a higher.pressure.of` 5.'lb.p,erA square inch 3O,00Q. r1.p.m. can beobtained, .and.at.still .higheijpressures of .15.113, per squarench .or morespeedsof 70,000 r.p.m.1or.rnore can be obtained. Y

-Having .described .our invention, what we desire 4,to secure. byletterssPatentis:

.1..Alfalsetwistspindle.for,the treatment of .yarns-.and

like textile products, saidlspindle comprising a rotor.in the.form .of..a hollow spindlehaving external vanes, `a stator .surroundingsaid rotor, .means for supplying said stator with compressed fluid which said stator is adapted to direct against said vanes so as to rotate said rotor, and a trunnion-mounting for said stator whereby it can be readily inverted and the direction of rotation of said spindle reversed.

2. A false-twist spindleaccording to claim 1, comprising a pair of trunnions .disposed .atopposite ends of a diameter of the rotor and aA forked' bracket carrying said trunnionsroixe on:each.limbz.of thezbracket.

ing a trunnion in the'forrn ofa glandfor-the'passa'geof the compressedair or otherluid to the rotor.

4. A false-twist spindle according to c1airn` 1, comprising bearings for the rotor, nsecuredyr to the .stator mounted one on eachside ofthe plane ofthe rotor blades, the assembly of'stator and rot0r` beingformed with passages by which the compressed fluid has access to said bearings.orthe-.lubricationgthereof.

. References Cited. inthe. leof ,this .patent Y UNITED-.STATES PATENTS l' 8733.075 'foiver Y Dec. '10, 1907 2,559,193 "Hegedus Nov;17,1'9'53 `2807130 'Trapido1et'al'.' Sept.. 24, 1957 4FGRl-EIGN PATENTS t 513,734 Great Britain -Dea 6.1945 

